The annual Pawnee ISD Science Fair was held Oct. 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Displayed in the Junior High hallway and science lab were 45 entries from grades 1-8. Many parents, grandparents, and students enjoyed the interesting and colorful displays. The PTO provided refreshments.

The top three places went to students at Pawnee Junior High. Joe C. and Savannah D., both seventh-graders, tied for first place. Briana M., a sixth-grader, earned second place honors. Mercedes G., an eighth-grader, received the third place medal.

Students in grades 4-8 wrote research papers and gave oral presentations of their science projects for their classmates and the judges. They spent many weeks preparing for this event. Mr. Garcia and Mrs. Naylor judged the entries based on adherence to basic scientific method procedures and the quality of the oral presentations.

Joe’s interest in bow hunting led him to design a test for penetration capability of several top broadhead arrow tip designs. The title of his experiment was cleverly titled “Power Point.”

Savannah’s experiment, “What’s Hiding on Your Fingers?” compared the effectiveness of hand washing with and without using soap. Her experiment was useful to prove how proper hand washing reduces the chances of spreading bacteria and viruses.

Brianna found that “Funky Fungus” was definitely more apt to grow inside one’s tennis shoes compared to flip-flops.

Mercedes performed a consumer science test of the wet strength of several leading paper towel brands. She found that there is a big difference in the quality of paper towels on the market.

Mrs. Naylor also acknowledged the exciting entries of first, second, and third grades and their beautiful display boards. Mrs. Copeland, Ms. Heep, and Ms. Masucci were the teachers who introduced their students to the scientific method. The third-grade students gave a great oral presentation to the fourth-graders about their project.